~ Muscles are not Heavier than Fat ~
Q: I would like to ask if muscles are heavier than fat. Why is that so? And is it possible that if I get more muscles, I will also gain weight or maintain my present weight even if I am controlling what I am eating?
A: Muscles are not heavier than fat. One kilo of muscle weighs exactly the same as one kilo of fat. A kilo is a kilo. However, since muscle is denser, it looks smaller than fat.
If you asked a butcher to put a kilo of pure muscle on one scale and a kilo of pure fat on another scale, you would see that the fat looks bigger than the muscle.
Another way to visualize this is to imagine a kilo of cotton and a kilo of steel. The cotton occupies a much bigger space or volume than the same weight of steel.
When people say that "muscles are heavier than fat", they actually mean that muscles are more compact than fat.
Another way to visualize this is to imagine a kilo of cotton and a kilo of steel. The cotton occupies a much bigger space or volume than the same weight of steel.
When people say that "muscles are heavier than fat", they actually mean that muscles are more compact than fat.
Muscle growth
I know what you are trying to say about "getting more muscles" but this is a good time to explain that a person doesn't grow an extra muscle in the arm or leg. What happens is that existing muscle fibers get more compressed and slightly larger with exercise. They can grow considerably larger but only if they are challenged by heavy weight lifting. Conversely, they also can get smaller or atrophy if they are not used. A good example is a person who has polio. The affected limb ends up shrunken because it is no longer functioning.
Women are usually scared of weights because they think they will get big muscles. The truth is that very few women are capable of building muscle mass like a man because the majority of females just don't have enough testosterone, the male sex hormone. Testosterone is directly involved in muscle growth. That's why the average male has larger muscles than the average female. The female bodybuilders that one can see on cable TV or magazines are genetically or "chemically" gifted and, either way, they exercise several hours a day and lift incredibly heavy weights. Even men with delicate frames have a difficult time coaxing their muscles to grow.
So, there is no need to be afraid of lifting weights. Besides, even if you are not happy with your new muscle size, it will not remain with you forever. If you stop lifting weights, your muscles will slowly reverse to what they were before. This is an example of the "reversibility" principle in fitness.
Gaining weight but losing inches
Women are usually scared of weights because they think they will get big muscles. The truth is that very few women are capable of building muscle mass like a man because the majority of females just don't have enough testosterone, the male sex hormone. Testosterone is directly involved in muscle growth. That's why the average male has larger muscles than the average female. The female bodybuilders that one can see on cable TV or magazines are genetically or "chemically" gifted and, either way, they exercise several hours a day and lift incredibly heavy weights. Even men with delicate frames have a difficult time coaxing their muscles to grow.
So, there is no need to be afraid of lifting weights. Besides, even if you are not happy with your new muscle size, it will not remain with you forever. If you stop lifting weights, your muscles will slowly reverse to what they were before. This is an example of the "reversibility" principle in fitness.
Gaining weight but losing inches
The number one reason most people exercise is to lose weight. People think that exercise will automatically make them lose pounds on the scale as well as inches on the measuring tape. However, as fat cells get smaller from all the calories being burned in exercise, muscle cells respond by getting stronger and heavier. That's how a flabby body turns into a firm one.
If you don't realize that this change in body composition is taking place, it can be very discouraging to see the scale hardly budge or even climb a few pounds. Whenever people complain to me about this phenomenon, I always ask them if their clothes are less tight. Invariably, they say yes. They have lost in inches. The few who have gained in both pounds and inches are either eating more than they should (both their muscle and fat cells are growing) or are on a very heavy lifting program (muscles are growing faster than they desire).
There are people who are so obsessed with the scale because this is the only way they know how to evaluate their weight loss progress that losing inches or even a clothes size or two is not enough to convince them that they are successful. This is too bad because no one walks around with a sign on their forehead announcing to the entire world what they weigh. If you are one of these people, please try and change this attitude because you will only get depressed over nothing. In fact, you should celebrate your new body composition!
Ideally, you would use a body composition test like a skinfold measurement or bioelectrical impedance to show you how much muscle you have gained and how much fat you have lost. However, not everyone has access to these tests because they are only done by fitness professionals. Not to worry. A tape measure and your own clothes will show your progress just as nicely.
If you have a lot of weight to lose and you continue to exercise and eat sensibly, you will eventually start to see the weight drop on the scale as you also keep on losing in inches. This is because muscle growth has a limit, especially if you don't progress to heavier and heavier weights. However, if you only have five or ten pounds to lose, don't be surprised if people tell you that you look like you have lost weight when you haven't. Your gain in muscle mass is balancing out your loss in fat mass to equal a smaller, tighter, more toned and defined you.
Faster metabolism
If you don't realize that this change in body composition is taking place, it can be very discouraging to see the scale hardly budge or even climb a few pounds. Whenever people complain to me about this phenomenon, I always ask them if their clothes are less tight. Invariably, they say yes. They have lost in inches. The few who have gained in both pounds and inches are either eating more than they should (both their muscle and fat cells are growing) or are on a very heavy lifting program (muscles are growing faster than they desire).
There are people who are so obsessed with the scale because this is the only way they know how to evaluate their weight loss progress that losing inches or even a clothes size or two is not enough to convince them that they are successful. This is too bad because no one walks around with a sign on their forehead announcing to the entire world what they weigh. If you are one of these people, please try and change this attitude because you will only get depressed over nothing. In fact, you should celebrate your new body composition!
Ideally, you would use a body composition test like a skinfold measurement or bioelectrical impedance to show you how much muscle you have gained and how much fat you have lost. However, not everyone has access to these tests because they are only done by fitness professionals. Not to worry. A tape measure and your own clothes will show your progress just as nicely.
If you have a lot of weight to lose and you continue to exercise and eat sensibly, you will eventually start to see the weight drop on the scale as you also keep on losing in inches. This is because muscle growth has a limit, especially if you don't progress to heavier and heavier weights. However, if you only have five or ten pounds to lose, don't be surprised if people tell you that you look like you have lost weight when you haven't. Your gain in muscle mass is balancing out your loss in fat mass to equal a smaller, tighter, more toned and defined you.
Faster metabolism
More muscle means a slightly higher metabolism. A pound of muscle has been calculated as needing an extra 35 to 50 calories a day. This might not seem like much until you realize that, all things being equal (especially the calories coming in!), this translates to a loss of 3 ½ to 5 pounds a year (3,500 calories equals a pound of fat).
That's why most weight loss experts recommend resistance or strength training as part of a holistic plan to lose weight (the other components are sensible eating and aerobic exercise). You burn the most amounts of calories during aerobic exercise (walking, running, cycling, dancing, etc). You don't burn as many calories during your resistance training sessions (unless you lift very heavy amounts of weight) but every pound of muscle you gain goes a long way in helping you to lose weight. It's sort of a long-term solution to weight management.
Combat the middle age bulge
That's why most weight loss experts recommend resistance or strength training as part of a holistic plan to lose weight (the other components are sensible eating and aerobic exercise). You burn the most amounts of calories during aerobic exercise (walking, running, cycling, dancing, etc). You don't burn as many calories during your resistance training sessions (unless you lift very heavy amounts of weight) but every pound of muscle you gain goes a long way in helping you to lose weight. It's sort of a long-term solution to weight management.
Combat the middle age bulge
Muscle loss is a partial explanation for why people gain weight as they grow older. If we do not exercise, we lose about half a pound of muscle every year starting at the age of 25. If you are sedentary, by the time you are fifty years old, you will have lost approximately 15 pounds of muscle. Even if all things stay the same, you will gain 1.5 pounds of fat every year because you are progressively burning fewer calories. Note: The reason I said muscle loss is only a "partial explanation" is because people tend to be less active as they get older. They also tend to eat more. In short, less calories being burned and more calories coming in equals the middle age bulge!
Practical strength
Practical strength
Stronger and heavier muscles are desirable not only for appearance but also for practical reasons. You can carry grocery bags, push a heavy sofa, and pull a stuck drawer with greater ease. Strong muscles also mean fewer injuries. Weak muscles are more prone to getting pulled or torn. And lastly, strong muscles also mean an empowered spirit. When you feel physically strong, you are better able to weather the mental and emotional pressures of life.
Article taken from TinaJuan Fitness
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